Happy Almost New Year

1. Saw my very first 3D movie, stylish glasses and all. My dad and I went to see Avatar- what a colorful movie! Originally I went to see it for the 3D experience, but was looking forward to the story as I had heard numerous great reviews about it. Well, I would have to agree that the movie held my attention for the entire 3+ hours. In fact, I was able to appreciate the entire movie from the best seats in the house. Right in front of the metal bar in which to rest ones feet comfortably. I really did like this movie (once I got past the strange looking characters).

2. Found a floor length, black, formal dress (that fulfilled all my requirements) for $29...what a steal!

3. E.L.F. Makeup. I do love their eye shadow brushes. http://www.eyeslipsface.com/

4. Being kicked out of a bar. Let me explain. For a friend's wedding she planned a bridesmaid weekend for all her girls. We checked out the wedding location, decided on those lovely "dresses" we all get to wear, began putting together wedding announcements/invitations, and eventually we sat around eating some dinner- the group decided that we needed to go out and have some fun. I am not a drinker, but everyone else is. I went along as a DD and we tried to find somewhere that didn't have a cover charge. Obviously I was no help in this planning, but we ended up at a typical dive, except that it was packed full, for unknown reasons. We stood around a bit waiting for a table or a few chairs to open up. No such luck, so we were on our way out. This is when I spotted a table and motioned everyone over. We got enough chairs around a table meant for less than us, but it worked. Until the waitress told us we couldn't stay- huh? We left (not happily) and ended up at a place that did karaoke. Yes. I did it. But yes, I was kicked out of a bar.

5. Shot the Moon in a game of Hearts against my computer. Nerdy? Yes.

6. Looking for a good book to take along on my cruise...any suggestions? On my first cruise, I read The Devil Wears Prada. Which, 1) I enjoyed reading, 2) Is still on my bookshelf...and 3) Still has a slight "sunscreeny" smell to it from an unfortunate incident on aforementioned cruise.

7. I found this website... http://itmademyday.com/

*Caution there are some entries that are on the

questionable side. But it certainly makes my day

reading about good things that are happening to people.

Here are some of my more favorite ones:

• As we were exchanging gifts on Christmas day, my sister suddenly stood up, cheered and yelled "I got a snuggie you wear backwards!" It was a bath robe. IMMD.


• In class we were doing an "alchemy" lab in chemistry- one of the steps was to say "abra cadabara". Instead one boy shouted "AVADA KEDAVRA" and got sent to the corner, with a sticky note that said Azkaban. IMMD.


• I was ordering from a local calzone shop online and under the special instructions section, I put "make it with love". When my calzone was delivered I opened the box and on the inside of the lid it said "With Love, From Bill". IMMD.

8. Anyone out there who hasn't seen the advertising blitz for Snuggies recently? Well, I always have a good laugh when I see the commercial or a box of one at the store. Who would buy a backwards robe? Seriously, if you stood up, your entire backside would chill. Then one day, I overheard a lady behind me, inquire whether they had any more of the "Pink snuggies, as there are none left on the shelf." I walked away wondering who was receiving the non-pink snuggie this year under the tree...

9. LOST...soon...so soon.

10. I finally opened and watched, Kung Fu Panda. Bought the movie on Black Friday before seeing it and was surprised with it- 'skadush' - sometimes this buying before seeing does work.

11. New Year's Eve as a LDS Single...summed up by a non-single.

"On New Years Eve I was asked to run a photo booth for the Regional Singles dance in Seattle. Matt and I had a great time seeing friends and laughing about how lucky we are to be happily married and OUT of the singles ward :)"

12. Started a new holiday tradition. We celebrated Christmas with the extended family the weekend before Christmas...and then a quieter one here at home. That way extended family is not rushing around trying to fit visiting everyone in on the Eve or the morning of. I kinda liked it. I vote it in to stay.

13. Ever go to your bookshelf in search of a loved, specific book, and then not been able to find it?? Doesn't happen to me often, but the other night I found a hardback copy of the first Sisters Grimm book, Fairy Tale Detectives, at Half Price Books (at a steal!) and I began reading the books again. This series is a quick read, and before I knew it I was trying to find my copy of the third in the series, The Problem Child. Could not find it anywhere. So spent the next day looking for a public library that had both the 3rd and the most recently published, 7th installment, the only library being one not too far away. Now all I'm worried about is, 'Where are my copies of these books?'

14. Nothing beats a cold winters evening, slipping into bed with sheets that are soft, fuzzy, and warm- and even better? Flannel Sheets for $15!!!

Working Hard

15. In completing my present wrapping I decided to create my own "cards / tags" this year. I have lots of scrap booking materials...

along with bits o' pieces of cards that I have saved

because they were just too beautiful to throw away

... glue 'em together ...

...and viola!

16. Today I have officially been working out with my trainer, Sanny, for 2 months. Some Monday's are harder than others to get out of bed to work out- But I always feel better after the workout is over. That and we have finally had to add free weights to our workouts, meaning we have improved enough to have to step it up in order to continue working it. But question- is it alright for one to make comments such as "gee you sure are sweaty" to other patrons at the gym..?

17. Teagan Note: Who & How else are you suppose to enjoy the

Puyallup Fair

than with one's Auntie and ice cream all over one's face?

Who You Gonna Call?

18. Certainly not Ghost busters. But maybe if the right conditions are present, you can call MissHPLuvr and the 3 Cat-chers. Let me explain. Last night about 11:25 pm my Mom yells down the stairs for me to bring Ronald up. Ut-oh not again. But no, Ronald should not have been up to no good, as he was quietly snoozing snuggled up next to me. So after inquiring 'Why' Ronald was being requested, I found out that Uncle Snickets (a chicken in cat's clothing) had brought in a furry little Mickey when he was let into the house. My Mom, being the brave soul that she is, brought all three of the house cats into the master bedroom, and proceeded to be squeamish all around the bedroom. I had yet to see the Mickey, but believed him to be there, as all of Uncle Snickets attention was turned onto one side of the dresser. Ronald was sure something was up, and soon was not disappointed as the little devil scooted out from under the dresser and squiggled behind the bathroom door. Not to be outdone, Ronald followed the little guy around the door and chased him back out under the dresser. For being fast enough to catch the bugger outside, Uncle Snickets sure was letting him have the run of the house. It was a while before the mouse squished himself under the bedroom door and across the hallway to Teagan's room. This was all the motivation I needed- I was going to have to step up my skillz or be forced to chase ineffective cats following a free moving mouse around the house all night long. That or else be forced to lose the mouse, not knowing where he was, and then try to go back to bed with thoughts of a wild mouse running around all night long.

Anyway, after a couple of laps around the baby's room...and a few climbs up the crib and toddler bed legs, Ronald was nearly always one step behind and batting the poor thing around. You know, only enough to terrorize him, not do away with him. But he was a tenacious mouser. My Mom -a chicken in Mom's clothing when concerned with anything smaller than her cougar cat- was advancing on the mouse's position, until she actual saw it wiggle it's whiskers at her and she would scream and dance around, blocking all possibilities of capture...it was then decided that I would have to bring in my highly professional capture equipment.

How else was this escapade ever going to end?

It suffices me to say, that 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1 hallway, 2 orange cats, 1 broom, 1 robe, 2 towels, and 1 MissHPLuvr later... we had ourselves a trapped little mouse. But- I only capture. The mouse had to wait until Dad got home before any sort of removal happened.

Afterwards Ronald roamed the house like a cat that got the cream...or mouse.

19. Two years ago Brandon Mull visited Santaquin Elementary and talked to the kids about how writing and being an author is a way to turn your imagination into a "reality". I remember sitting there listening to this guy make the entire audience erupt into giggles and uncontrollable laughter. I was thinking to myself how familiar he looks, when it dawned on me. "Hey, he used to be in Diving Comedy, on BYU campus my freshman year!" So that day after school I looked him up and lo and behold- Gandolf the Great -in the flesh. As if I wasn't already into the Fablehaven series he had begun from reading it aloud to my 4th graders. I appreciated the humor he had infused into the story he had written. I would recommend this story to many who completed the Harry Potter series and wondered to themselves...what next? There are four books out, with the fifth and final installment of the series due out in March 2010. My Mom came across this news article and passed it along to me, knowing of my interest in his works.

Utah Author Grants Wish For Dying Boy
Thursday, Dec 10, 2009 @11:11pm CST

Brandon Mull has never met 14 year-old Chase Autrey, but on Thursday night he granted his dying wish – even though Mull lives in Utah, Chase lives in Texas and the two have never met.

Brandon Mull is the author of a popular book series for teens called “Fablehaven”. Chase is a boy who is dying from Cystic Fibrosis. Mull’s 5 book in a series is due out in March. Chase is a huge fan of the book and according to his mother Olive, has been waiting anxiously for the release of the new book. But March will likely be too late for Chase whose lungs have all but failed.

On Thursday, Mull surprised Chase with a phone call to his hospital room. It was made possible by a group called “A Wish With Wings” which grants wishes to terminally ill children. When Chase answered the phone call in his room, surrounded by family he said, “Holy Crap!” Then Mull proceeded to do something for Chase that he would never do for any other fan: He told him the top secret plot to the fifth book. “If I tell you this, you have to promise me to keep this secret….it’s between us,” said Mull to Chase via phone from his house in Utah County. Chase promised and Mull proceeded to tell the plot in detail. For a few moments Chase escaped the harsh realities of his life in the hospital.

“It was great to see him be the focus of attention in a good way,” said Chase’s father Patrick. “He’s endured things others have never endured.” Chase has been in hospice for a year and a half. His mother said he gets headaches often and is in a lot of pain. “His body is breaking down,” she said.

Mull became teary-eyed toward the end of the phone conversation when Chase’s family yelled out “thank you” over the phone. The 35 year-old father of three said he couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have a child in the hospital with a terminal illness. “The idea that my books could help distract him is way cooler than anything,” said Mull holding back tears. “It is way beyond anything I hoped my writing would do.”

And to him I say- 'Thank you Brandon Mull for sharing your talents with others.'

More Updates

Tis the time...for more happenings.

20. More photos of my cutest nephew. Teagan has been busy learning about some traditional family activities. For as long as I can remember my sister and I were subjected to an annual visit to the Santa Claus photo courtesy Country Village. I remember harboring this deep dark secret from friends and classmates alike. Especially in those junior high years where it was so uncool to still be going to visit Santa. But I will admit (but deny if asked) that it is fun to see the same Santa scene each year, with us growing up over the years. Anyway, a year or two ago, my sister and I protested enough so as not to be subjected to dressing up and getting that picture taken. Hence, Teagan's first year to meet the Jolly Big Guy. He is so much cuter at it than I ever was.

For your viewing pleasure.

Not afraid of Santa...seemed to be very in tune

with the camera taking their picture.

21. As to some of the more new traditions. We are a game playing kinda family. It has turned into "Reindeer Games" during the holidays. This means that as soon as the Thanksgiving dishes are washed and put away, the card table comes out and the board games take up a temporary residence in the living room. Games that have made a recent jump in popularity: Blokus, Triominos, Roll the Bones, and TriBond. The tradition continues on so that new "members" of the reindeer game club have to wear The Antlers; so as to further entertain other members of the reindeer game club. Hence the fascination with reindeer...

-Visiting the Reindeer Farm-

22. and making Christmas presents for the family...

23. This past weekend my parents attended my great aunt's Hanukkah celebration. This has become an annual party for my mom, and this year she brought my dad along to dance, eat, and Spin the Dreidel. This party is potluck, and among the traditional Jewish dishes, my mom typically brings a fruit salad or some other non-denominational dish. Until this year. As I was baking cupcakes for my birthday-movie night, I offered to bake some extras for her to decorate and take. The issue was that I would need an additional box of cupcake mix to do this.

*Fast forward 30 minutes*

After pulling out the necessary ingredients like eggs, water, and oil, I went to pull out the box of cake mix from the plastic shopping bag. Leading me to wonder- Is it faux pas to bring German Chocolate cupcakes to a Hanukkah Party?

24. For my birthday celebration I rented a projector and set up the family room in a Theater configuration. I had put out a facebook invitation for "Movie & Cider Night" and was expecting anywhere from 10 - 15 people. I researched online for the best projector price and went on to order one to be shipped and received by December 11th. Happily the projector was mine for the entire weekend, for the price of 1 day. Bonus. And as I was reading the contract for the projector, I came across this:

Security Deposit

...If you return the equipment on time with no damage, your security deposit will be fully refunded.

If you return the equipment with damage, you will lose your security deposit (or the cost of repair, whichever is less). If the equipment is lost or stolen, and/or you do not return the equipment at all, you are responsible for the full value of the equipment and we will attempt to collect that balance from you. Deliberate or fraudulent damage to the equipment is not covered, and may be prosecuted as vandalism.

Examples:

The viewfinder breaks off the camera, and you return the pieces to us. You will lose the security deposit, and will not incur any additional charges.

Someone drops the camera in the ocean during your rental period and you cannot find it. You are responsible for the full value of the equipment.

The camera is stolen from your hotel room. Your are responsible for the full value because you have nothing to return.

The camera is run over by a bus. Sweep up the pieces and send them back. You will lose the security deposit, and will not incur any additional charges.

I was also able to return projector on-time and all in one piece. No sweeping up of pieces or deep ocean diving to retrieve said projector was necessary. Should you be in the market to rent a projector, I recommend this company: http://www.atsrentals.com/ As a result, 20 party attendees enjoyed watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where Harrison Ford was larger than life in all his archaeologist glory.

25. I tried something new for the birthday. Instead of serving cake...which is a delicious favorite of mine...I baked cupcakes.

Almost too cute to eat...almost

Courtesy of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book, I came across the idea to make them into Christmas ornaments.

26. Now 'How to' serve those Ornament Cupcakes? A quick search on Google lead me to directions on How to Make a Cupcake Stand from this lovely little website. I used scrap booking paper and ribbon. Which gave the movie munchies table a bit more flair than the typical refreshments table. At least in my opinion:

Cupcake Stand filled and tempting

Just beware of how impossible it is to find the cake dummies. I went to 4 different stores looking for them. For those uninformed (such as I) cake dummies are simply cylindrical styrofoam pieces that cake decorators use to practice decorating on. I ended up using graduating tins instead...and they worked beautifully.

Summer Happenings~

27. The latest and greatest Harry Potter movie was released this past summer. My dad and I had tickets well in advance and planned a group dinner and movie night. The dinner at Claim Jumpers was okay...while the conversation was much better. Of course my nephew is being introduced to the wonderful world of Harry in his custom onesie:)

28. Reaching further back to this spring, Ronald and Teagan's trip to Utah was uneventful. Teagan travelled like a champ.

In fact it added some new excitement to the travel time. Ronald has always been an excellent traveller...whether by plane or car. It was interesting to watch him adjust to our newest little traveler. He wanted to be as close to me as possible during the drive. When I was holding Teagan he had to settle for the car seat while my arms were full of Teagan, but Ronald's transition back into my arms after putting Teagan back into the car seat was a tad lost in translation.

Cat as the Hat

...until next time...

I'mmmm Baaackkk!

I have seriously been slacking on the blogging thing. So here is my promise- I am going to write in a few posts about 39 things that have happened in the past few months. (39) because then I will have at least one more post than last year.

So:

29. Saw the movie The Blind Side starring Sandra Bullock. Loved, loved, LOVED it. See it! Which brings me to a confession... one of my HUGE beefs is with people that are at the theater to watch a movie, but instead have their cell phones on/out, texting and sometimes even TALKING on them. If that is your priority, step out of the theater and allow others around you to watch the movie sans your brightly shining screen and clicky clicking texting. Hence the situation today. As we are about 2/3 of the way through this amazing story, the guy in front of and one seat to the left of me, pulls out his cell phone (with a screen nearly as large as a small portable DVD player) and clicks to read a text. Fine. Read the silly text, I'll give it 30 seconds...especially as my eyes are trying to focus in a dark theater on your bright cell screen. This is when he goes on to lean over to his friend, discuss whatever important discussion needs to happen, and THEN, proceed to begin texting BACK. Really? Which is when I kicked the guy's chair. Kinda on purpose. I expected him to look back. Nope. But that text message? Was quickly completed and cell phone/portable DVD player was put away. Cautionary Tale. Definitely. You go to the movies, text, call, conduct an interview before, after, or outside of the theater. Don't ruin the experience for those around you.

30. I became an Aunt earlier this year. Teagan was born February 9th at 9:14 pm weighing in at 8 lbs 8 ozs and 21 and 3/4 inches long and has been a great source of entertainment these past few months. He is just so sweet he makes my heart melt. What a hoot it has been to watch him achieve each new milestone. At the Puyallup Fair this past September, we were soaking in the Fair experience when we realized that Teagan was making "Sound Effects" to keep his stroller strolling...

There was SPIT involved in this adventure

31. Finished my second successful year in Santaquin Elementary's fourth grade department. My goodness there was more expected as a "veteran" teacher on staff. I was put into the Team Leader position, we had 2 interns in the grade level, was in charge of the Faculty Staff Christmas Party, was the school's Science Fair Coordinator*, and had a wonderful and positive experience with a student teacher in my classroom. Want to know how to get over a fear of "performing for coworkers"? Have someone there all day, everyday, critiquing your skills... You will have to become confident in what you do...and why you do it that way

32. *Became an official Science Fair Coordinator guru by completing the requirements. There is a surprising amount of them! Besides attending coordinating meetings-

I had to order enough participation ribbons -

ever spend more than $100 dollars on ribbon?

I have

but I also edited informational packets that students needed to fill out and complete in order to compete in the science fair, coordinated community judges, ordered tables to display projects, and awarded prizes. What was so awesome about the whole experience was that we had a couple of students go on to compete in District Science Fair up at BYU.

33. Completed my official "Move Across the Country" by moving up from Provo, Utah back to Bothell, Washington. It is an interesting challenge to move from whole apartment into a single Bat Cave, but it has been very nice to be back with family and old friends once again. Plus...I do not have to worry and get angry about the ever increasing costs of traveling with Ronald- because I am already home for the holidays. As for moving across state lines? No plans to do this again in the near future.

34. European Soap Seller Extraordinaire. Yanaj hooked me up with a spring and fall sample soap sale. I now know more about soaps, body butters, lotions, body balms, bath confetti, soy candles, and working some swinging deals for a warehouse sale that I enjoyed working more than you might have guessed. Other friends ~ also proud owners of lifetime supplies of soaps and lotions.

35. My dad turns 50 this year. 5-0! So a few of us are counting down the days until we leave on a 7 day cruise to Honduras and Mexico. We have reading homework about the Mayan ruins we are going to explore on a tour at the Cozumel port, pictures and everything. We will be leaving from Galveston, Texas, and I will be flying in a few days earlier in order to catch up with some "old" friends. Double Excitement!!

36. So with an international trip on the near horizon, I applied for and received my very first passport. How exciting. I now have the proof that yes I am Miss HPLuvr...all they needed here was my birth certificate, social security card, driver's license, blood type, dental records, shoe size...and some other forms of identification all to pay them $75 dollars and wait 4-6 weeks for my very own passport booklet! Seriously!! Although- I did save some money by taking my own photos instead of paying (Kinko's $13 or the Police Department $16) wahoo for me.

37. Had my identity stolen. I was notified the first week of September, by mail, that my driver's license was going to be suspended for failure to respond to an infraction on July 6th. Hmmm, interesting, considering that I have never been issued a ticket in the state of Washington...EVER! Also, the driver's license was neither the current Utah license I was using OR my old Washington license back from high school. How was I suppose to respond to a ticket if I did not know I had been issued. My problem, as I was repeatedly informed by the employees at District Court, the Prosecuting Attorney's Office, 2 different lawyers, Utah Driver's License Bureau, and the Washington State Special Investigations Unit. There is not much out there to help people who have their name drug through the legal mud hole. I do not think that I have cried so much or so hard as each time I had to think about and try to wade myself forward in clearing my name. For anyone that has had this happen to them or is in the middle of it my heart goes out to you, here are some of the things that I did that helped me (and should you need additional help please let me know!!):

• Found that Wilma from the Identity Theft Resource Center at 1-888-400-5530 was hard core in her advice and help. As she gave me the advice to call the courthouse and request a hearing (something I had tried to do 3 times already) she told me to take a deep breath and to focus...and proceeded to tell me a list of things that I needed to do in order to clear my name.


• Great advice from my friend Krissy- keep a journal of everyone you speak to, including the content of the conversation, date and time.


• You can request an identity hearing to get onto the court docket. All I needed was an opportunity to be in front of the judge to tell him "It was not me".

38. Joined Canyon Park Fitness gym. My Dad, Mom, and I decided that we needed to be ready for Mayan ruins and keeping up with Teagan :) Once a week, my Mom and I meet with Sanny - our trainer - and try to keep up with each other. And so far moan about muscle groups hurting that we did not know existed. It is worth the pain, I am already noticing a difference in the amount of work I can do in the gym, and the amount of energy that I have outside of it.

39. On the other hand, Ronald has a few pesky holiday ounces creeping up on him. He has always been on the skinny side of things, so it has been with great surprise that after 3 years he is finally looking as though he might one day match his paws.

Breath of Life

So my friend texted me earlier this evening...

"Do you wanna go to yoga at 9?"

I contemplated just what else I would be doing at 9 (sadly, the plan was to be laying on my couch reading my current book Peter and the Secret of Rundoon) and so I figured- what the hay, I'll give it a try. Especially considering that we have been trying to go to the gym together for the past 2 weeks. That is ever since we discovered that we are members of the same gym. So I texted back telling her that contrary to popular belief, I had yet to try this activity.

Would I need to bring anything special?

Thinking yoga mat...some flexibility genes...that sort of thing. Well guess what my gym offers? Besides 9 pm yoga classes- yup flexibility genes :) or yoga mats to be more accurate. So an hour later I found myself sitting on a squishy, purple yoga mat, in the middle of a fairly empty aerobics classroom, gazing through a set of windows out at the rest of the gym members working it out on treadmills, stationary bikes, and stair steppers. Seeing the worried expression on my face, my friend reassured me that they dimmed the lights at the beginning of class, making it difficult to see into the room. That and the fact that she just about picked the most perfect spots in the entire room helped to ease my pre-yoga jitters. You know the spot- those special spots where you are A) Not right up front breathing all over the instructor, or B) Not in direct eye line with ANY of the humongous wall mirrors- so that you do not have to watch yourself workout.

I will admit a few things about the whole experience. It was a relaxing way to let the day's worries go and I wasn't too concerned about trying to keep up with the rest of the class, experienced or not.

That is, until I am standing up, bent forward at the waist, feet as far away from each other as possible, hands grasped behind my back...leaning as far forward as possible while stretching my hands as far up behind my head as they will go. Awkward- no? Not awkward by half until the instructor comes up behind me (yeah, great view I am sure) takes my hands and helps to push them even farther forward. And nothing in yoga goes tremendously fast, so he is there for at least a full minute before offering the praise "great release" and moving on.

I spent the rest of the class trying to forget that if I wasn't pushing myself hard enough I would be "treated" to more one-on-one help. I sure hope I didn't stink! Rather I tried my hardest to just follow his instructions to keep breathing loud enough to be heard by your neighbor.

Overall I was invigorated by the experience, and would be apt to try it again. Maybe I will be able to stretch a little bit further next time and save myself the up close and personal experience. That, and I would definitely remember to bring a water bottle- who knew one could get so thirsty doing the Warrior Pose?

For those unfamiliar - this is the Warrior Pose. Very exciting stuff.

Long Awaited

I pride myself on the discovery of this charming and enchanting book series. I participate in the Scholastic Book Clubs with my students each month, and like a kid in a candy shop, I always order a few books to add to my classroom library. A year ago last October, I found this book for a very reasonable price:

"In Book One of the series, we meet two sisters, Sabrina and Daphne, who have been sent to live with their mysterious grandmother, Relda Grimm. From their first day in Ferryport Landing, the sisters begin to unravel a mystery that reveals a family secret. Sabrina and Daphne learn they are descendants of the Brothers Grimm, whose famous book of fairy tales is actually a history book. Snow White, the Three Little Pigs, the Big Bad Wolf—they're all alive and now neighbors of Granny Relda in this community of Everafters, as magical folks like to be called.

But life is not a fairy tale in Ferryport Landing. Someone has set a giant loose on the town, and it's up to the sisters Grimm to stop the giant and find the Everafter behind its murderous rampage. Is it Mayor Charming, formerly Prince Charming, who may have plans to get his kingdom back? Or Jack, the erstwhile giant killer, now working at the Big & Tall store?"

I had been on the lookout for a new book, as I had recently learned that summer the fate of Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger and needed a new storyline to be hooked into. Well folks, this was it. I read the first one to my class, and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. I will be honest in saying that I did not rush out to the bookstore to pursue the next books in the series. That is until Yanaj began into the series, and became my accomplice in the All Over The Countryside search to find and read the next 5 books. I have been patiently waiting for the 7th installment, and found out that my wait now has an end in sight. As of May 1, 2009 I will be able to find out what happens next to the descendants of the Brothers Grimm- Sabrina and Daphne.

"Picking up after the dramatic cliffhanger that ended Book Six, Sabrina and Daphne’s prayers are finally answered when their parents awake from their sleeping spell. But their happy reunion is short-lived, as they are caught in the middle of a war between the Scarlet Hand and Prince Charming’s Everafter army. As the family works to help the prince’s ragtag group of rebels and protect their friends, Sabrina comes face-to-face with the family’s deadliest enemy—the mysterious Master—who reveals a secret so shocking it will rock the entire family to its core."

And the mind boggles that there could be even more- and yet there is! There is an excerpt from this soon to be released book on the official Michael Buckley The Sisters Grimm website: http://sistersgrimm.com/index.html

I recommend checking this website out.

Thus I leave you with one more noteworthy nugget ... or three:
Note Worthy 1
Note Worthy 2
and just in case...
Note Worthy 3

Welcome to the Family

Disco Diva's Birthday

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Happy Birthday Mom! I hope that you boogied

all - night - long

in celebration. . . and that this brings back fond memories.

I am excited to visit in a few months and to really get into celebrating. Maybe pretend we are shopping for someone else's birthday- will that help in finding a present that you would like?

Hopefully so.

Happy Birthday to The Man

To the one who Ronald feels the most competition with...

A little birdee and I were talking earlier this week, when said birdee let it be known that it was going to be my Dad's Over the Hill Big "5-0" Birthday. I was shocked,and must say a little disappointed that I had not foreseen to this fact sooner- so that I could have done something more than what I was planning. Then, as I was standing in the card aisle, trying to once again find that perfect card, I counted back from the year my dad was born to 2009...and realized,

'Yes. I still have one more year.'

So instead of the usual black Over the Hill cracks, we will focus on the last 365 days before the official Over the Hill celebration will begin.

So. What is there to say about one of the people that have had the enormous amounts of influence that my Dad has had in my life.

1. Thanks for not picking out a fru-fru girlie name for me- one that ends with an 'i' or a 'y' - or had any connections to old girlfriends - or so out of the ordinary that no one would ever know how to pronounce it correctly the first time...enough of that with the last name :)
2. For telling me endless stories about your adventures with Frisky. Especially the experience of getting him on Christmas morning.
3. Encouraging me to learn about cars. At least enough to be able to look at the billowing black clouds of smoke pouring out the exhaust pipe, and realizing that "There just might be something wrong."
4. Coming out to help me move from Houston to Provo...driving that huge moving van, sneaking Ronald into the motels, and staying long enough to enjoy our Harry Potter tradition.
5. I have you to thank for kicking off my Harry Potter obsession. Who else would have made sure that that copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone made it onto the corner of my pillow so that it was the first thing I saw when I crawled into bed that summer? And after I had buried that book under clothes and magazines and other books next to my bed, making sure to slip Harry Potter back up on my pillow the next morning after I had left for work- so that of course it was there for me when I finally decided to crack that book open and begin reading.
6. Getting caught up in an America's Next Top Model marathon, and being the only one to stay up late enough to see who was the ultimate winner :)
7. Making sure that my car is running well, that the weather is treating me decent, and that work is well, still paying me a salary.
8. Having a good sense of humor.
9. Letting me (almost) always win at Rummy. You do let me win right?
10. Making sure that I keep a plan in mind. What do I want to do with my life...
11. Having hopes and goals for yourself...and going for them.
12. Teaching me that it is important to stay out of debt.
13. Letting the family have family pets. Especially after seeing you followed around by the pet dog...oh, no that's Weebo!
14. Being willing to catch a midnight movie opening.
15. Still liking to go out driving donuts in your beater car.
16. Your beater car. Especially the "defroster" fan.
17. Being dependable. You say you will do something, be somewhere, you follow through.
18. For not being as scary as some people say you're intimidating appearance intimates.
19. Reading to me before I could read for myself, and sometimes even after that.
20. Listening to me read my copy of Harry Potter out loud while waiting for yours to come in the mail. I told you it was quicker to wait in the midnight lines, than to have it mailed to the house!
21. Not over complimenting. "Not too shabby!"
22. Helping me through college.
23. Putting up with Ronald accidents.
24. Coming to visit, even though you know you are subjecting yourself to sofas, blow up mattresses, or even the floor. Then again your ability to sleep anywhere, anytime is impressive.
25. Waking up before the crack of dawn to celebrate Christmas mornings.
26. Telling good stories.
27. Laughing out loud, often.
28. Seeing the humor in a situation, or letting it roll off your back when there is nothing that can be done about it.
29. Cooking tasty breakfasts.
30. Getting excited for Harry Potter book releases, and wanting to come with me to each new movie release...and of course putting up with my incessant need to hash and rehash out the plot and characters.
31. Wanting to spend time with our family.
32. Absolutely always providing our family with food, clothing, and shelter.
33. Making improvements to our house- sunroofs, decks, porches, entire bedrooms.
34. Letting me know that I could make someone a great carpet layer. It's on my relationship resume with you as a reference.
35. Letting me make my own decisions, but always being there to give thoughtful advice.
36. Loving House M.D. Who would have thought?
37. Making sure and/or participating in family vacations...road trips.
38. Seeing to all of my computer needs. I have yet to face a computer melt down. *knock knock knock*
39. Enjoying being around our family as we have grown up.
40. Being willing to go on the occasional Mall Walk...a.k.a. window shopping.
41. Thinking its funny to disappear in a crowded mall, and then appear magically as if we didn't miss you.
42. Rototiller-ing a garden every spring.
43. Coming to graduations- seminary, high school, college.
44. Your highly developed fashion sense.
45. Going to Las Vegas and watching the high rollers, getting so sunburned sitting by the hotel pool that you were red for the entire time you were there, getting up at 3am when I finally arrived and going to get something to eat, and trolling for discarded jumbo casino dice to play Roll the Bones.
46. Taking family, church, and work responsibilities seriously.
47. Loving Me and Eneras.
48. Loving Mom.

- and the happy 49th for luck -

49. Being who you are.

Winter Wrapup

I have had a great past few months...hence the sabbatical from blogging. For Thanksgiving my parents came down to Utah to once again enjoy a Fabulous Thanksgiving Dinner away from the Northwest. With as much luggage as they could pack they came prepared for some cold, snowy weather. Unfortunately for the entire two weeks they were here- the snow was mysteriously absent. That is, until they were boarding the airplane to leave. It was then that they were able to enjoy front row seats to the snow flurries.

For my birthday, I was able to spend the evening with a few close to me- at the Melting Pot. All I can say is "mphsdef". Which is "My goodness. Wow...where have you been all my life?" Only it is said around a mouthful of the cuisine. I have heard many good things about the Melting Pot. Even though it is a spendy place and you should plan to spend the evening. We were there a good 3 hours from start to finish. Thankfully they take reservations, so we were seated as soon as we arrived. Also- if it is your first time, splurge and go for the Big Night Out. So now, I am officially into the latter part of the 20's. Should I reveal the scary age...nah. Suffice it to say this is not the scary age.

Which brings me to Christmas vacation. I can thankfully say that I did not miss any of my flights. Almost and not without some tears, I was on each and made it to and from safely. Apparently months before when I was booking my flights home, I picked the night that the first really big snowstorm of the season decided to hit. This wasn't just an isolated storm, instead it blanketed the entire west coast, or so it seemed. I left snow to arrive in snow. Unusual for Washington State. My first week in Bothell, we were all practically snow bound. Something I haven't really experienced since I was in junior high and dealing with a friend's father's irrational demands of traveling around a snow and ice blanketed town. I snuggled up next to the fire/pellet stove/heat source, pulled out a book, or chatted it up with family. I was comfortable with the enforced home bounded-ness. I had no where I needed to be or needed to do. Rather I was along for the ride. In fact it began one of the quietest and enjoyable Holiday times in a long while. In fact it brought out the kid in a few of us:

Snow on the back porch- about 18 inches...so far. The lumps happen to be my mother's flower pots (or Ron's salad bar)

Me and my cousin Darb...and Frosty Jr.

The boys...Nayrb, Darb, and Frosty Jr.

Darb came stomping upstairs one morning announcing that someone was going to step up and by special request of the parents of the home do this. . .

Overall, I must say that I cannot remember ever experiencing a White Christmas at home in Washington. I spent this one enjoying every minute. There is magic in the snow covered evergreens. This was the way Christmas is meant to be spent. Quiet, reflective, with a fire (or pellets) burning, no worries about places to go and things to do, and if I had my way, playing games and of course winning said games.